Thank you Warner Brothers for releasing a beautiful remastered version of this classic special. I won't summarize the story as I just want to comment on the disc. The picture is incredible. It looks brand-new. The picture is sharper and the colors really stand out when compared to the previous release. The image is also no longer muddied. Warner Brothers has also fixed something that has always bothered me and I believed that it had always appeared that way. During the play rehearsal, Schroeder plays "Linus and Lucy" while everyone dances. There has always been a BAD edit in the music and it was annoying. It has now been restored! Granted, the cut was only a second, but it ruined the scene for me. This has made me very happy and I can now enjoy this scene. Anyway, I love this new remastered version. Now on to the "making of" featurette. If you own the book, then this adds nothing! It is nice to hear the story from the people who were involved but it would have been nice to see the child actors. Anyway, I highly recommend this new release. This is a definite improvement over Paramount's previous release. It is not Christmas without "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

This sure sets the mood for the rest of the holidays. What I really enjoy about this is the tunes. I bought the music CD of this show & listen to it all the time at Christmas. It's upbeat & humble at the same time. Thanks Mr. Schultz. Peace to all.

Very good film for children at Christmas time of our famous Charlie Brown and his particular way to live. I remember when I have watched it on TV by the first time when I was a teenager and now I'm so glad because I have this story on DVD. Don't miss it and enjoy it !

A classic Charlie Brown story you need to add to your collection. Nothing else like it out there. Happy viewing!

Maybe the reason Charlie Brown was feeling depressed around Christmas was because he saw this DVD. While I'd give "A Charlie Brown Christmas" 6 stars if I could for the show itself, the poor quality DVD that's on the market is another story: it rates 2 stars at best. Surely a program that's so loved by so many deserves the TLC of a proper remastering, and it's hard to understand why it hasn't happened.

This year I bought my three favorite Christmas classics on DVD: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Charlie Brown. The first two were recently remastered and the results were stunning--better in every way than I've ever seen them look and sound on television. And I'm not talking about a "modernizing" of these shows that turned them into something different in character than they were--no, these remasters are loving and faithful restorations of these classics to their original glory. By comparison, A Charlie Brown Christmas was a huge disappointment. The video is passable, but having seen what restoration did for the Grinch animation, I'm also aware of how much better the Charlie Brown video could be. The audio, however, is atrocious--an embarrassment, really, especially considering all the great Charles Schulz dialogue and the incomparable Vince Guaraldi score. It's hissy, it's muddy, it's mixed poorly and sound levels can vary widely.

The size of the fan base for this show would virtually guarantee financial success for a remastered DVD-I'm not sure who owns the rights to do something like that, but I hope they're reading this review!

Hard to believe this special has stood the test of time and it will for many more Christmases to come! "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a classic for families that share the real meaning of Christmas for which I can agree with! If you have never seen it,maybe you will get something out of it! I enjoyed this!!

This is a keepsake. I've enjoyed "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for many years, tried not to miss is on TV, finally recored it on VHS, wore out that copy. Wanted a DVD to watch with my grandkids, hopefully in the near future.

I enjoy Méhdi"Christmas Treasures",Josh Groban ,Mannheim Steamroller etc.and this a magnificent production that I also enjoy just as much.The first prime-time Peanuts special introduced Charles M. Schulz's timeless gang to the world of television and was awarded both an Emmy and a Peabody award. Originally broadcast December 9, 1965, on CBS -- years before Seasonal Affective Disorder entered our lexicon -- the story is driven by Charlie Brown, sort of a tyro Scrooge made even more miserable by the increasingly crass commercialism of holiday cheer. Charlie agrees to direct the school Christmas pageant and in the process tries to discover the true meaning of the holiday. Although its animation is dated and its evangelism is unsubtle, A Charlie Brown Christmas -- like all the Peanuts holiday specials -- is so good-hearted that it's very easy to overlook its flaws. Linus wrapping his blanket around the tiny, stunted tree remains among the most endearing images ever produced for network television. For grown-ups, this is how Charlie Brown and Snoopy and Sally will always be remembered, stumbling and dancing around the school stage in a childish torrent of goodwill. For kids, the simple charm of the white beagle with black ears and his friends will likely beguile them from here to next Tuesday. The new DVD is unedited and includes footage that was shorn after the initial broadcast, as well as the more recent special, It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown.

Also Recommended:Méhdi Christmas Treasures ,A True Gem.

Every year, millions watch "What a Wonderful Life" as the quintessential American Christmas story. But, I would intone that if they aren't watching "A Charlie Brown Christmas" they are missing out on one of the very best American Christmas stories and a chance to bond as a family, as a group of friends, or just savor sincerity and peace on a wonderful level. Charles Schultz's characters are winners. It's no wonder they've been charming us all since the 1950's. There are extras here, but "A Charlie Brown Christmas" needs no support - it IS one of those magic moments of our generation and will continue to charm into the future. Share it with the family this season and you'll not regret it - in fact, you'll all be enriched.

The animation is simplistic, crude, even outdated. But the sincerity and honesty behind the plot of A Charlie Brown Christmas overrides whatever technical inadequacies the production has. The quality of the animation actually adds to the charm of the viewing experience, much like watching another Christmas classic, It's A Wonderful Life, in black and white.

A Charlie Brown Christmas is one Christmas tradition that families should include along with trimming the tree, Christmas story reading, Christmas dinner and carol singing.

hello i love this video i thught my aunt and her friend marna would like it and she did but marna was extremly upset with the rating of the whole penutts pack so anyway me my aunt and marna wached harlie brown christmas every year now 2345 5 years abd we koved it i liked it a lot too oh my word i hate to go to clemeltin park so i will not clode i will enjoy waching this video every yer just llike always last year was the first year aunt dawn had ever been late in 5th grade but in 4rth grade she turnd on the chanel where me my mom marna and my mom wached it

I grew up watching this show at home on TV with my parents every Christmas season. It's the whole humorous Peanuts gang punctuated with the true meaning of Christmas near the end. Sweet. Gotta love it!

Just like I remembered it when I was a kid. My son (11) also enjoyed it alot!

Christmas is about more than santa and presents. It's more than just the biggest tree with the best decorations. It's about a babe in a manger, three wise men and eternal salvation. In an innocent way only Charles Shultz and the crew can do, Charlie Brown (And Linus, et al) deliver this message loud and clear. I say everyone needs to buy this DVD before everything related to God and Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas is removed from the world... It's sad when a cartoon such as this may very well be one of the last strongholds Christians have on our own identity.

My own personal soapbox aside, this movie is great. It's timely, even today. It's meaningful and it's truth personified. It teaches about the things that really matter in life, not the superficial garbage most people tend to worry about during the holidays.

God Bless Charlie Brown!

Christmas isn't complete unless you watch this movie at least once during the holiday season.

As every die hard Peanuts fan knows, when A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS first premiered in 1965, CBS was absolutely certain the show would be a disaster for several reasons. First, unlike other cartoons at the time, there was no laugh track. The characters were all voiced by actual children (save for producer and director Bill Melendez, who voiced Snoopy), and of those children, only two had previous acting experience. The music for the show was a jazz soundtrack, atypical of children's programming at the time. And since TV and music executives were very touchy at the time about having God's name even mentioned, CBS despised the idea of Linus reciting his famous speech of "what Christmas is all about" from the King James Version of the Bible. Also, even though Peanuts was already one of the most popular comic strips in America by 1965, history had shown the success rate of adapting comic strips to the small screen was hit-or-miss. All these aspects, combined with the decidedly choppy animation and poorly enunciated vocal track, prepared CBS for a total flop. Which, of course, A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS was not.

The special could be considered an example of a show that succeeds in spite of itself. But then again, as has been pointed out many times before, the shortcomings with the animation and vocal track work to the overall show's benefit, making the overall theme of the true meaning of Christmas resonate even more. This is also due in part to the decision to focus on the plot rather than the characters. While all of the characters stand out in some form or fashion- especially Charlie Brown, the character wrapped around the true meaning of Christmas theme- it's the plot that is the main attraction here, and it's the reason why the show is not just one of the best Christmas shows ever made, it's a timeless classic. The loose plot of the story- which is pretty much several little stories weaved together- as well as Vince Guaraldi's wonderful jazz soundtrack contribute just as much, if not more, to A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS's influence. This was the show that put the Peanuts characters onto the small screen periodically for the next 25 years, and even though a fair share of excellent specials were created, none of them could quite match the innocent charm of this masterpiece.

[This 2000 DVD edition marked the first time A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS was released on DVD. Of course, no remastering will change the quality of the animation, but the picture is very good, and the music has never been better presented than it is here. The only bonus feature on the DVD is the 1992 Christmas special IT'S CHRISTMASTIME AGAIN, CHARLIE BROWN, which is a very different beast than A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS. Watching the feature once, it's easy to see why it's often been criticized- true, the several small stories featured are merely thrown into the show, not unlike how A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS was created, but here, the small stories are not tied together at all, making for a very herky-jerky viewing. (If you want more information about the special, see my VHS review of the special.) Nevertheless, this DVD is an excellent way of getting A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS, but if you have a little extra money, a better recommendation is the PEANUTS HOLIDAY COLLECTION, which also includes IT'S THE GREAT PUMPKIN, CHARLIE BROWN and A CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING, two of the better Peanuts specials.]

My boyfriend loves Charlie Brown so this was a great gift for him.

This is so fantastic words really can't describe,I have to say
after buying this from AMAZON I had to buy another,than another.
Now I am waiting for Paramount to put them all out,A Charlie Brown
Christmas is perhaps one of the best if not thee. The voices are
fresh and delightful the story fantastic and the piano breathless
You can view this really at anytime not just for x-mas.Everyone
in the world should be a PEANUTS fan for everyone of us have a
Charlie Brown,Lucy,Linus,Peppermint Patty,Franklin,Marcie,Sally
Snoopy and of course Woodstock in them.PEANUTS FOREVER!!!

I still enjoy this cartoon as much as I did when I was a kid. The message is still a classic, and the music is timeless. A great opportunity to turn back the clock and experience a simpler time, if only for 20 minutes.

Sometimes...many times...I get lost in the craziness of the world. As much as I try and remain centered in a place/a space of Spirit, there are times where I just temporarily forget the Love, the life, the Light that is within me and all around me and I start believing more in the appearances than in what's ultimately real; God. And I can tell when I do. I start feeling heavy. Not just physically, but emotionally. I get grouchy. I find myself getting irritated at the littlest of things and then before I spiral too much out of control, I look for something that helps me remember a deeper meaning to life and a lot of the time I reach for this beautiful and wonderful Holy-day classic.

This movie is as old as I am. Actually, I am older by 9 months and nine days (but who's counting)and I really cannot recall the first time I saw it, but I do know that even now when I see it, something magical...something transformative...something wondrous takes place within me. Not just now, now that I am on a conscious and deliberate spiritual path, but always - which can only lead me to conclude that I was on a Spiritual Path even when I thought I wasn't.

Charlie Brown finds out the deeper meaning of Christmas and maybe he finds a deeper meaning to life; that appearances are not always what they seem; that through Love, transformation always takes place. When people ask me if I'm "born again" I tell them "sure". Not in the way that they might think, but I am born again every time I believe in what my heart says more than what the world may tell me. This is why I reach for this film no matter what time of year I may be in. I am reminded of the simple beauty and innocence of Jesus the Christ's teachings; "Be in the world, but not of it..." and "Forgive them, for they know not what they do..."

So many times we know not what we do. We have become so hypnotized into believing in the world that we forget our true identity, our true home. Blessed now are we the children of God and it is this God of Love in which we live and move and have all of our being just as this Love lives within us, moves with us, and has all of its being within us, as us.

Y'see, it matters not how old something may be or how many times you think you might have seen something, if you're always gettting something wonderful out of something, then it is still a valid part of your life. That is why I am reviewing this classic in February. Christmas is not a once-a-year thing; whenever the innocence of Christ is being renewed in your heart, the "savior" is being born. Be humble enough to receive Its Love, and gracious enough to carry it out into the world.

Peace and Blessings be to you and yours this Holy-day!

This is a classic in every sense of the word. And like any real classic, it gets better with age. "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is a sweet, simple show with a powerful message. Every aspect of this production is great.

But the fact of the matter is that this is the kind of cartoon that doesn't get made anymore. Now it's all about the trash-talkin' Simpsons and their moronic kind. Also, because God plays a part in the message of this Christmas special, it could not be made today. It might offend believers in Allah, or hurt the sensitive feelings of atheists. Therefore, such a production could never get off the ground.

It's just as well. There is really nothing that could suprass this masterpiece. Buy it and make it a part of your Christmas traditions through the years.

I ordered this DVD & several others as presents. They all arrived in good shape & on time for Christmas morning.

My 3 1/2 year old little girl saw the "Charlie Brown Christmas" on TV this year and loved it so much that I had to order it. She watched it over and over and enjoyed it as much as I did over 40 years ago when I was a kid. Just goes to show that some things never get old. And, what a treat to be able to share it with her now.

I gave this movie to a co-worker who loves all the Charlie Brown classics that are shown on TV. She was thrilled when she opened it!

I haven't seen this in years, and bought it on a whim to surprise my family with a christmas eve special treat. It was just as touching and funny as I remembered it to be. We all enjoyed it. I don't remember ever seeing the second christmas program. It was fun to watch, but no where near as good as the first program. This is something we will definitely watch again during future holiday seasons.

great and fast to deal with will do buisness in the future

I had planned to use this short DVD in an English classroom in a university in China. However, the content is too 'Christian' in content. The true meaning of Christmas is expressed directly in words about Jesus being born, so it was useless for my purpose.

This has always been one of my favorite Christmas classics, now it one of my family's favorites as well.

We bought this to share with our 3 1/2yr old during the holiday season. He absolutely loved it and we had so much fun re-watching it with him. It brought back great holiday memories of being children for my husband and I.

For a 25 min made-for-tv cartoon of the mid-60's, this is truly a timeless classic whose message is still all so relevant more than 40 years later. Both the main feature, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" and the bonus "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown" are destined to be viewed at Yuletide for many more decades to come. As one among the very many people in my social circle who bemoan the loss of the true meaning of Christmas and with the wanton commercialisation behind it all, I was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of cartoons that address this issue so well and in such simple terms that even a child could understand the distinction. The main feature brings out the message better than the bonus and it's no surprise at all that this is a very worthy winner of both the Emmy and Peabody awards. The only reason this dvd doesn't get all 5 stars from me is that despite the digital remastering, the sound quality isn't perfect and is in mono format and the video quality is affected by transfer from a deteriorating master source. But these are small complaints and do not detract too much from the enjoyment of all but the more picky video and audiophile. I note that they have attempted to do a better remastering for the Grinch and perhaps those concerned may attempt something similar with this dvd as well. In addition, with a total run time of about 50 minutes, you'd expect a lot more special features or documentaries about the main features but these unfortunately are not present here. Overall, despite these limitations of the disc, you would be hard-pressed to find a better way to explain to your kids what the true meaning of Christmas is. Highly recommended!

I grew up watching this classic on television and didn't appreciate until now that the Christian message of the Savior's Birth is supported in this film. As commercialized and non-Christ as Christmas has become in this day and age, it's nice to have the true story of Christmas retold in this classic Peanuts presentation.

This is one of the sweetest, sad, funny, and actually profound Christmas specials ever. Well, maybe not Dostoyevsky deepness, but there is quite a lot of depth here, unlike a lot of modern Christmas specials, which are just plugs for toys. The suits at CBS hated this series. They thought it was too intelligent for kids, and they didn't like Vince Guardaldi's jazz score (which is a bonafide classic now). It almost didn't air. Luckily, it did, and we are all better people for it.

Can't really say anything that hasn't already been said - this is a must-watch every year. I'm frankly amazed that the networks (as I recall this initially aired on CBS - Channel 5 for us - now on ABC). I'm watching it right now in fact - the only thing spoiling it ever so slightly are the "new" commercials (compared to when I was a kid). I would love to have seen an "alternate" version of Charlie Brown Christmas which includes the original commercials that were nationally aired - I remember the old sponsor, Dolly Madison (are they still making Zingers?) Maybe they can do that on the next release of this little gem :) just a thought.

I've watched this show as long as I can remember - almost 40 years now...

Along with "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" a must-watch during the holidays.

I watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas" when it first aired in the 60's and just about every Christmas since then! It is my favorite Christmas cartoon not just because it is entertaining, but it has a message about the true meaning of Christmas! This little cartoon has become a tradition in our family. Older children who are used to fast-paced, action cartoons may find it a bit on the slow side, but adults and small children will enjoy its look at the Christmas season. Its message is timelier today than it was in 1965. Plus the musical score has also become a classic. This DVD includes a second Peanuts Christmas special, "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown". While it is not in the same class as "A Charlie Brown Christmas", it is still very fun to watch. Highly recommended!

Everybody gets that feeling -- the disillusionment with Christmas' glitzy, soulless commercial barrage.

The antidote to that can be found in "A Charlie Brown Christmas," where everyone's favorite round-headed kid tries to find out the real meaning of Christmas. Simply animated and told, this special little story reminds us why we have Christmas, without resorting to sentimental goop or silly humor. It's both funny and heartwarming.

Charlie Brown is depressed. It's Christmastime, and he knows he should be happy, but instead he feels let down. Even worse, everyone is into the commercial aspect of it -- even his dog! When he asks Lucy for help, she offers him a job as a pageant director. He agrees, hoping it will get him in the spirit.

Of course, it's a disaster -- Snoopy mimicks and licks Lucy, Pigpen grosses out his onstage "wife," and everyone dances to Schroeder's piano. Finally Charlie Brown goes out to buy a big glitzy Christmas tree, but he ends up buying a tiny scraggly one instead. As the others laugh at him and his poor little tree, he cries out, "Isn't there ANYONE who can tell me what Christmas is all about?" And Linus tells him.

This DVD also contains a sequel special, "It's Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown." Instead of a real storyline, it's a series of light subplots and vignettes, based on the comic strips by Charles Schultz. It's not as striking as the original, but it is lots of fun.

As the story goes on, Peppermint Patty struggles with her holiday book reports, and Linus tries unsuccessfully to tell Sally about the meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown tries unsuccessfully to peddle wreaths door to door ("It isn't even Thanksgiving yet!"), and sells his comic book collection so he can buy his crush a pretty pair of gloves.

And finally, there's an upcoming holiday pageant -- Sally has been cast as an angel, with only a one-word line: "Hark!" She messes up, of course. And Peppermint Patty hopes to be cast in the role of Mary, but is shocked to find out that Marcie has been cast instead ("Mary never wore GLASSES!")... and that she's gotten the role of a sheep.

"Charlie Brown Christmas" is sort of an antidote to those wretched Christmas specials they trot out every year . It was made with a shoestring budget and a jazz soundtrack, and after seeing it, the network executives believed it would be a massive flop. Well, shows what they knew.

There's something in Charlie Brown's search for yuletide meaning that really yanks the heartstrings. Not to mention the climactic moment when Charlie Brown cries out for the meaning of Christmas -- Linus calmly announces that he can tell him. He goes up to the podium, and quietly reads from a relevant Bible passage. "Fear not, for behold, I bring unto you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people..." Its simplicity is what makes it so beautiful.

But there's lots of humor too -- birds dancing with candy canes, Sally's Christmas demands, and disastrous holiday pageants ("Woof! Meow! Moo! Whatever!" yells Peppermint Patty in her sheep costume). One of the most entertaining subplots is poor Linus repeatedly trying to tell Sally about the meaning of Christmas, only to have her say angrily, "If I get socks again for Christmas, I'll get even MORE crazy!"

Whether it's for the nostalgic value or the message, "A Charlie Brown Christmas" is sure to entertain. An absolute must-have.